Julian Assange and WikiLeaks Accused of Censorship by ‘Risk’ Documentarian Laura Poitras – IndieWire

More than a month after Risk was released in theaters, the documentarys story continues to evolve. The latest development is especially dramatic: Laura Poitras and the films other two producers have published an op-ed in Newsweek accusing Julian Assange and WikiLeaks of censorship.

READ MORE:Risk Takes On Julian Assange: The Dramatic Story Behind Laura Poitras Oscar Follow-Up

Poitras, Brenda Coughlin and Yoni Golijovwrite that Assange and WikiLeaks the subject of their film have sent cease-and-desist letters to Neon, the distributor of Risk, demanding that they stop the films release. They find that hypocritical to say the least: In WikiLeaks efforts to prevent the distribution of Risk, they are using the very tactics often used against them legal threats, false security claims, underhanded personal attacks, misdirection and with the same intentions: to suppress information and silence speech, they write.

READ MORE:Risk: Laura Poitras Yanks Screenings For Last-Minute Edits Following New Julian Assange Developments

All the participants in Risk agreed for years to be in the film, they continue. We have no obligation to seek WikiLeaks or Assanges authorization to release the film. In fact, our rights under the First Amendment are protected precisely because we are engaging in independent journalism.

The scope of Risk shifted and evolved as new developments came to light. Read the full op-ed here.

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Julian Assange and WikiLeaks Accused of Censorship by 'Risk' Documentarian Laura Poitras - IndieWire